Cygnus Photography, Calcutta: 2012

Benares (Cāsi – 25.20 North Lat., 83.00 East Long.)

Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, is the oldest and holiest pilgrimage centre of the Hindoos’. It has been the traditional centre of education since the ancient times.

According to the purānas, the Benares (or better known as Varanasi), was founded in circa 1200 B.C. The name Varanasi is derived from the two tiny monsoon streams or rivulets, namely, Varuna and Assie, marking the Northern and southern borders of this ancient town. It is also known as Cāsi, meaning “Eternally Illuminated with Divine Light” (or Eternal glow of Divine Light). Historical evidences prove beyond doubt that Cāsi was one of the most important states of the subcontinent, in the 6^th century B.C., with Benares as its capital.

The deity at the Cāsi Viswananth or Viswaeswara – as it was known, since the early Mughal era. Benares is known as ‘the City of Lord Shiva’. The Ghāts or stairs of Benares along the river Ganges are worth mentioning, of which, a few very famous Ghāts are :- Dusaswamedh, Manicarnika, Pancha– Ganga, Harish–chunder, Toolsie, Rānā, Kedār, Ahlya–bai, Rāj–ghāt, Rajendra-pursaud, Hanooman and Rānee –Māhāl. However, the total number of such ghāt counts somewhere around 450.

There is a medieval period observatory, namely the ‘Yantar Mantar’, next to Dusaswamedh ghāt. This masonry observatory was established by Rājāh Jai Singh Swai in 1728 A.D.

The present temple of Cāsi Viswanauth was erected by Rānee Ahlya-bai of Gwalior in the year of 1776. The roads leading to the temple (i.e. Dusaswamedh road and Viswanauth lane) are very narrow. There are other numerous temples, also worth mentioning, e.g. Doorgā Temple, Tulsie-Manas Temple, Sankat-mochan or Hanooman Temple. In Benares, it is believed that, approximately 1500 Hindoo Trmples are there. The famous Benares Hindoo University is situated a mile apart from the Doorgā Temple. Besides, there is the Sanskrit University.

Dusaswamedh and Manicarnikā are the two principal stairs (or ghāt) of Benares. The other important ghāts, from the North to South are – Rāj-ghāt, Prahlad, Trilochan, Guay-ghāt, Pancha-ganga, Bālājee, Rājāh-gwalior, Yatar, Rām, Ganesh, Bhopālā, Ganga-māhāl, Shankatā, Sindia, Manicarnikā, Yalāsena, Lalitā, Meer, Mān-mandir, Rajendrā-pursaud, Dusaswamedh, Nārad, Mān-sarovar, Keshmeshwar, Chowkā, Vijaya-nagore, Niranyanee, Chait-Singh, Prabhoo, Pancha-coat, Shree-neshadrāj, Jain, Batchh-rāj, Ananda-mayee, Yanakie, Bhadainee, Toolsie, Rānee-māhāl, Assie & Nagoā; on the west bank of the river Ganges.

Benares is also a place for pilgrimage for the Jains. The four noble men(or ‘Tirthankara’) of the Jain religionwere born here. Even there is a very sacred Buddhist pilgrimage, called ‘Sarnauth’, situated on the outskirts of Benares. Here, Gautama, ‘the Buddha’ pronounced his first sermon, about 2500 years ago.

Distances of Benares from Calcutta and Delhi are; 678 Km. and 763 Km. respectively, lying almost midway between the two metropolises.

Monday, 22^nd day of Phālguna, Bengali year 1417

The 7^th March 2011